


Red Hands and Red Herrings

by UnicornsInSpace



Category: Wayward Guide for the Untrained Eye (Web Series)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Also drug mention because the ending is similar to the show, Also of wounds, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, And Truman is an evil wizard, And also the town baker, Artemis/Madison if you squint, Brief descriptions of murder, But all of the fighting is with magic, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, My main OC is the insomniac card, Non-Graphic Violence, So there is food, Werewolves and wizards and fairies oh my!, and weapons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-18 18:34:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28747758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnicornsInSpace/pseuds/UnicornsInSpace
Summary: Werewolves are not the only supernatural creatures in Connor Creek, it turns out. When Paul and Artie meet the town baker, Arianna, they are searching for the truth. But Arianna has other plans- protect her wolf friends from the evil wizard terrorizing the town with everything she has. When no humans believe her, she calls on other nearby magical creatures to help.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a piece I planned out mostly after ep. 7 came out, partially after ep. 8, so in the story, I was theorizing on the information up to that point. I decided to only change a few things from the original outline as new information became available, except a few things in the middle and about the ending, because it was too hard to change the original outline and I had so many ideas. (I am a hardcore plotter). I saw how Truman immediately commanded the room when she walked in after Barney's death in ep. 7, and I was like, "What if she was a evil wizard?" Lightbulb!
> 
> Without further ado, I hope you guys enjoy it!

“Do you deny us, sister?” a voice called from out of the darkness. The sound was muddled through the mist of a brain just waking up from sleep.

“Why did you kill our friends?” The voice said again.

The ground beneath the dark-haired girl was soft yet slightly rough on her exposed skin. It did not cling to her and was solid in its composure.

“Only one of them was our friend,” another voice said.

“Humans can be friends, too,” a third voice chimed in.

“And she isn’t our sister," the second voice said, "She’s a wizard. A very sad, corrupted one, it seems.”

As her eyes opened, she saw three young women sitting in a circle around her. She blinked as her vision came into focus. They were wearing long, flowing dresses, with braided hair. Light filtered through the trees like a stained glass window, shifting like a kaleidoscope as the leaves moved in the breeze. She was in the forest canopy, but there was a solid platform below her, lined with fallen leaves. They rustled as she shifted to sit up.

“She doesn’t remember anything,” the young lady on the right said.

The one on the left got up as if to stand, but her legs stayed bent at such an angle as if she was not putting weight on them. A slight humming sound filled the air.

“They woke the woman up, she doesn’t remember anything,” the flying one said over her shoulder.

“Stay with her while I go get [mumble]. Don’t want her wandering around without wings,” a voice from somewhere to the right rung out.

“Got it,” all three said in unison.

The flying one sat down again, and they all looked at her.

“Tell us when you remember something,” the middle one said, “Sounds like things were pretty intense,”

\---

Earlier That Week, At the Bakery

Artie and Paul walked over to Connor Creek’s bakery, to interview the owner. The words “Gladwell Cakes and Confections” were carved into a wooden sign above the door. Display trays of pastel-colored macarons and giant cupcakes peeked through from inside the windows. A bell jingled happily as Artie opened the door.

“Oh, be right out!” a voice called from the back of the bakery. The inside of the store was rustic wood, except for the floor, which was tiled with a black and white checkerboard pattern. The light from outside glittered off the wrappers of the various types of breads and candy that covered the walls in shelves and a few barrels. The smell of freshly baked pastry filled the room like a warm hug.

“Wow! This place smells delicious,” Paul said.

There was a creak from the back of the shop as a petite woman burst through the door from the kitchen. She was wearing a green apron with hummingbirds on it, and had a hairnet and plastic gloves on.

“Sorry for the wait,” the woman said, moving quickly to remove the gloves and the hairnet, before looking up, “Olivia, are you here for your- Oh, hi! You’re the two from LA doing the podcast, right? I heard about you guys!”

“Yes, I’m Artemis, and this is my brother Paul,” Artie said.

“Oh my gosh!! You have a Greek-inspired name, too! My name is Arianna, not as directly related as yours, but still, it’s from Ariadne, the daughter of King Minos-” She was talking a mile a minute and quickly stopped and changed the subject, “But that’s not important, you guys have questions to ask me, right? Would you like a pastry? I’ll give you each one for free, while we talk!”

She motioned to the display case in front of her. It had all the things you would normally expect in a bakery, macarons, croissants and danishes, along with some chicken empanadas and mini beef and cheddar quiches. Little chibi animal decals shimmered along the top of the glass to cover what looked like LED light strips.

“You don’t have to do that,” Artie said.

“I’ll have one of those mini-quiches,” Paul said.

“Good choice, those are popular,” Arianna said, putting a pair of gloves back on and taking a mini-quiche out of the case. She put it behind the counter for a second, and brought it on a plate, before handing it over to Paul. She pulled a fork out from behind the counter as well, and it clinked as it touched the porcelain plate.

“People really love meat here,” Arianna said, “I’m from a big city, too, not as big as LA, but still, there were lots of vegetarians and vegans, people didn’t care for meat. But here, they love it! I guess it’s just a small town thing… do you want anything, Artemis?”

“No, I’m fine,” Artie said, “I’m gluten-free.”

“Oh, okay. That’s fine. My chocolate fudge is gluten-free! Just let me know if you wanna try any,” Arianna said. A loud beeping came from the kitchen. “My cookies! One moment.” 

She grabbed her hair net and ran into the kitchen with surprising speed.

Paul picked the plate from the counter and sat down at one of the two-person tables on the side of the store. It had a lacquered top and was set up with 50’s style diner stools that had been reupholstered in pastel-colored fabrics. Artie sat down across from Paul and the chair wobbled beneath her. Just then, Arianna ran back in and was taking off her gloves and hairnet again.

“Sorry about that,” she said, “Had to get the cookies out and the bread in to be ready for the after-work rush.” 

She pulled up a chair next to Artie and Paul’s table.

“So, what questions do you have for me?” She said.

“What do you think of the Miner Mole expansion?” Artie asked.

“Well, the last time I saw Silas, he hit on me. It made me really uncomfortable,” Arianna said, “Also, I get bad vibes from Truman. She’s always stalking around town in the early mornings when I am on the way to the bakery. I tried to tell Sheriff Madison but she didn’t listen… but Miner Mole! Back to Miner Mole- My friend Sybilus works for them, well, he does the accounts for them for the bank, but anyway, I don’t really like them. I came here to escape city life, not to have it find me again.” She laughed. 

“Woah, you know Sybilus, too? That’s awesome,” Paul said, “I met him at Miner Mole the other day, and get this- he basically confirmed the existence of werewolves.”

Arianna’s happy face melted away into concern.

“Are you sure about that?” she asked, “I mean, I wasn’t there, but it doesn’t sound like the kind of thing he would do.”

“Yes, Paul, quit it with the werewolf stuff,” Artie said, annoyed. “They don’t exist.”

“Sorry, buddy, I think Artemis is right on that one,” Arianna said.

“But he was just like ‘Umm,’ when I asked about them,” Paul said.

“He was probably just struggling to find the words to let you down easy,” Arianna said. Changing her tone of voice, she asked, “Would you like me to take your plate from you?”

“Sure!” he said, “That mini-quiche was really good.” 

“Glad you liked it!” Arianna said.

As she turned around, Paul noticed she had two slits across the top of her jacket on the back, angling up around the top of her shoulder-blades. The edges were finished as well, so they were put there on purpose.

“What are those holes in the back of your jacket?” Paul asked.

“Oh! Those are for me to clip my apron onto when my joints aren’t cooperating and I can’t reach all the way around to tie it in the back. I have joint problems,” Arianna said.

The bell tied above the door rang again as if to change the subject, and Olivia walked into the store.

“Olivia!” Arianna said, “I have your pigs in a blanket right here, just a second! Sorry, guys, I guess the interview will have to end here,”

Dishes clanked into the sink, and she was already running back into the kitchen by the time Paul spoke.

“No problem,” he said.

“You guys came for some of Arianna’s delicious pastries, right?” Olivia asked.

“No, we’re here doing an interview,” Artie said.

“I did get some delicious quiche, though,” Paul said.

“Right? What flavor did you get? My favorite is the beef and cheddar,” Olivia said.

“I got that one,” Paul said.

“Nice,” Olivia replied.

The squeaky kitchen door hailed Arianna’s arrival again.

“Here you are,” she said, emerging again with a white paper bag in hand. She rang up Olivia, saying something to her in hushed tones that neither Paul nor Artie could understand.

“Well, where to next?” Paul said, looking at Artie.

\---

It was after hours at the bakery. The stars were shining brightly in the sky and the trees were rustling in a soft breeze. Inside, incandescent lights bathed everything in a warm, yellow light. Arianna let out a yawn as she flipped the sign that said, “We’re Open!” to “Sorry, We’re Closed.” There was a knock at the door.

“Sorry, we just- Sybilus,” she said, looking up, “Come in.”

She let him in and locked the door with a click.

“I talked to Paul and Artie today. They came to interview me,” she said, closing the blinds in the store as she spoke. “They were nice, just asking questions about Miner Mole and...” as soon as she was done closing the blinds, her tone changed, “They’re not casters, and don’t mean any harm, least of all Paul. It was probably just dumb luck he asked you if you were a werewolf. I gave him a mini-quiche with a truth spell on it to loosen his tongue, and the only proof he had was your conversation...”

“I totally (stutters) ruined it for me,” Sybilus said.

“Oh, sweetie,” Arianna said, walking over and gathering him in a hug. “We’re best friends, aren’t we? I won’t let anyone hurt you. I told him, I said you were probably just lost for words. It shouldn’t mean anything. Also, he had the beef and cheddar mini-quiche, didn’t he used to be vegan? He might be one of you guys soon. Don’t worry,”

She was rubbing large circles into the fabric on the back of his business suit.

“That’s right. Maybe it isn’t so bad,” Sybilus said.

“And if worse comes to worse I can call on my friends from High Top, they can be here in half an hour to protect you and your friends.”

“Th-th-thank you,” Sybilus said.

“If you need me, you know where to find me,” she said.

  
  


At the Town Hall, A Day or Two Later

The world seemed to be falling apart. Barney had just ran into the town council chamber, throat slashed, screaming fanatically about his dinosaur egg, and promptly died on the floor. Truman had walked in after him. As if by magic, she quelled the pandemonium with one short statement. Another woman ran into the room during her speech. But no one noticed her. She looked absolutely ordinary, wearing an earth-toned argyle sweater and tan corduroy pants, and had her hair up in a simple ponytail, just like Sheriff Madison. She sat down in the back row with unbelievable silence. No one even knew she was there yet.

“I suggest a town-wide curfew, effective immediately,” Truman said, “Sybilus, a vote."

“All those in favor?” Sybilus said.

Truman put up her hand emphatically, and the woman from the back of the room snapped her fingers. The sound rang through the room like a bell. Only Riley, Cliff, and Truman were raising their hands.

“The motion fails,” Sybilus said.

“What?!” Truman seethed, looking back at the rest of the council. She then turned to look at the woman in the back row. “You."

“All I did was counter your injunction spell,” she said, “If you’re out about the existence of werewolves, the rest of the town might as well know about other magical creatures, right? Especially casters, like ourselves."

People around the room began to whisper in confusion.

“Our community has a serious problem right now with wild creatures killing them, I would appreciate it if you would leave the protection of it to the people who actually live here,” Truman said, just as authoritative as she had been when she quieted the room, pointing towards the door with her hand. The woman stood up, firm.

“Wild creatures? A werewolf obviously didn’t kill this man, look at his wounds,” she said. With a flick of her wrist, Barney’s body flipped to his back. As people began to lose their composure again, she backtracked, “Okay, maybe not. But he had a small incision to the throat and a puncture wound to the side. This was a human with a knife, not a wolf,” She looked up at Truman for a second before narrowing her eyes and changing her tone, “Why did you kill him?”

Gasps exploded throughout the room.

“How dare you accuse me of this! I would never hurt the people I am here to serve!” Truman said. 

“The wolves have been here for generations, they would have no reason to start attacking now. Other people might, though. Especially if they have done the same thing in other small towns before, and were afraid their plans wouldn’t come to fruition here, say, if they were going to lose the election."

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Truman said.

“You do know it is a federal crime under magical law to willfully inflict bodily harm, or attempt to do so, on a magical creature due to caster or non-caster status, or shapeshifting ability? And it is even a crime to discriminate against them for those things under California magical law. Plus, don’t think you’re the religious type, but the High Priestess of Watermore said just in 2010 that we should treat all magical creatures as our friends, especially those that are outcasts in society, like shapeshifters. So you’ve got no feet to stand on, either way."

Up until that point Truman tried to hold a façade of confidence, but it quickly cracked under these accusations.

“Who even are you?” she screamed, “To come in here, tell me _I_ have done wrong by doing this? I am _saving_ people from having to go through what _I_ went through! They’re monsters! All of them!” Her face was red, and her eyes might as well have been on fire as they blazed with rage. She jumped off the stage and headed towards the woman.

“We all go through trauma, but it doesn’t mean we have to go around killing people, especially innocent ones who have done nothing wrong to you,” the woman said.

“They killed our friends!” Cliff said.

“No, they didn’t, it was _her_!” the woman replied.

The room erupted again into chaos.

“You want magic, little girl? I’ll give you magic,” Truman hissed, just a few feet away from the woman now. She lunged at the woman with her palms out, and the woman put her arms in front of her in an X and closed her eyes. Suddenly a bright flash of light engulfed the room. It fell quiet a second time due to magic. Everyone closed their eyes or shielded them with their hands. 

When the light receded, Truman was unconscious against the wall, and the strange woman had disappeared into nothing, like a wisp of smoke in the wind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to call her a "corrupted" wizard in the story, because I thought "evil" was too black and white and just overused, and also would not be something that the fairies would call her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is chapter 2! I made up a lot of mythology for this one because, like I said before, I was going off the stuff from the first 7-8 episodes, and I wanted to have that kind of stuff in my story. I also had a part I had written about how corrupted wizards had their own kind of magic that angered the gods and made divine stuff hurt them, but that felt like too much exposition, so I scrapped it.

After the flash of light cleared, no one would get close to Truman. She had this unsettling feeling about her. It made everyone too afraid to go near her. Cliff had stepped the closest, but his vision got blurry and he started squinting his eyes. He stumbled back as if drunk. 

“There’s something weird about this,” he said, “I couldn’t see to get close."

“You looked like you were drunk,” Rocky said. 

“Must be some kind of magic,” Aubrey said. He was absolutely fascinated with it. A few moments of silence passed where no one said anything.

“Well, this did nothin’... I’m still goin’ on a wolf hunt,” Riley said, “Who’s with me?”

The room erupted with people saying yes, and sure. Rita and Sybilus looked trepidatiously at each other before getting up to leave.

“Meeting stopped, uh, ended, uh, adjourned,” Sybilus said.

\---

Arianna was running so fast she could hardly breathe. Her heart was beating raucously in her throat as her dainty feet threw dirt behind her with every step. Her eyes darted from side to side, scanning for something. The creak of a door caught her attention, and she whipped her head towards the Dead Canary. Artemis was stepping out, upset.

“Artemis! ... Artemis! ...Have you seen ...Sybilus?” She stopped, heaving loudly, but her lungs still burned for air.

“Yeah, he’s inside,” Artie said.

“Thankyousomuch!” Arianna said. She dodged around Artie with all the ease of a ballerina, pulling the door open as she said it.

“Sybilus... you’re okay! ...Thank goodness... I’m so glad,” Arianna said, between hurried breaths. She stopped, leaning over and placing her hands on her knees. She then saw Helen and Rita sitting across from Paul.

“You told them?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Sybilus said.

“We’re making a plan!” Paul said.

“Good!” Arianna said, her breaths were getting slower now, more measured, “Then I can tell you guys... what I’ve done so far…. Contacted my friends in High Top.... Alex, Lexi and Drina... coming right now... to protect you guys… from Truman. Magical creature... solidarity, right?”

A look of relief washed over the Connor wolves’ faces, especially Sybilus, but Paul furrowed his brow in confusion.

“Wait- what’s High Top? And magical creature solidarity? And protect us from Truman?” Paul asked.

“Remember when you asked me... why I have those slits on the back... of my jacket? They’re for my wings. I’m a fairy,” Arianna said, matter-of-factly.

An excited noise filled the room as Paul started gesticulating excitedly.

“You’re a fairy?! That’s so  _ cool!!” _ He said, “But where are your wings?”

“They’re invisible unless we’re using them,” she said, “And they move too fast to see them when we’re- that’s not important, though. We have to get you guys to safety. There’s a cabin in the woods, south of town, we’ll meet the other fairies there."

\---

As they made their way through town, they went as quietly as they could to avoid any patrols. Helen caught something out of the corner of her eye. Arianna saw it seconds later. Truman. Arianna quickly moved between the figure in the distance and Sybilus, even though she knew they were well out of range for any strong curses. It was just a habit at this point.

“Darn it,” Arianna says, once they were out of line of sight, “She saw us."

“Are you sure?” Rita asked.

“Completely sure,” Arianna said.

“What’s going on here with Truman?” Paul asked. 

“She’s a corrupted wizard, apparently,” Arianna said, “A powerful one. Out to kill wolves for some reason. Most wizards aren’t like that, though, it’s super against magical law."

“Yeah, some stranger in the town hall meeting earlier mentioned that,” Paul said.

“That was me, actually, trying to hide my identity,” Arianna said, “But she probably knows it was me, anyway."

“You w-w-w-would’ve fooled me,” Sybilus said.

“Thanks,” Arianna said.

“Why did you want to hide?” Paul asked.

“I’ve been on to her since the beginning, but no one except these three have listened to me,” she said, motioning to the three wolves there, “I didn’t want the other townspeople thinking it was just little Arianna ranting and raving again."

There was a sudden flash of light. It became a small orb in the distance in front of them, blinking in and out a few times, and then disappearing. Arianna held her hand out for everyone to stop and moved to the front. With everyone else standing still, it made it more obvious that the ground didn’t seem to crinkle under her feet like it did under everyone else’s. She worked her fingers around in a pattern, seeming to grasp for something in thin air. A faint light flickered on in her palm, and she faced it before her. It illuminated the path before them like a flashlight. It faded in and out in a similar pattern. As soon as it stopped, two women appeared before them.

One of them was wearing a wool jacket with a pair of well-worn jeans, and the other had paired their jeans with a cable-knit sweater. They smelled earthy and clean, like the forest after a good rain. Their hair was done up in elegant braids, probably woven into a bun in the back like Arianna’s.

“So, you’re the fairy that called for help?” Wool-Jacket asked.

“Yes,” Arianna replied. She was stiff and more measured than normal.

“Yep, that’s her,” Cable-Knit Sweater said.

“Good,” Wool Jacket said, “Sorry, Arianna, we have to be on the defensive with this rogue wizard on the loose,” She turned to the rest of the group, “I’m Alex,” she said.

“And I’m Lexi,” Cable-Knit sweater said, not missing a beat.

“Drina is around here somewhere as well, hiding in case of an ambush,” Alex said, right after Lexi had stopped speaking.

“Very smart,” Paul said. Arianna had begun to turn to Paul when Alex spoke again.

“So these are the friends we are here to protect?” Alex said.

“Yes, they’re shapeshifter wolves. A corrupted wizard has been trying to kill them, killing humans and then framing them for the murders. The humans are dropping like flies, and are turning against them."

“That’s what Sophia said,” Lexi said to Alex, then looking at Arianna, “Don’t worry, we can protect your friends. That’s what fairies are best at, right?”

Before Arianna could respond, all three fairies jolted their heads to look towards town like a gunshot rang out from the direction.

“That’s a powerful curse,” Lexi said, voice cold and serious.

Paul’s face went pale, all the color draining from it as concern took its place.

“Artie’s in trouble,” he said, “She was going to Miner Mole to confront Silas, what if something happens to her?”

“Artie’s his sister,” Arianna said.

“Don’t worry, I’ll protect your sister,” Lexi said, “Where am I going?”

Arianna lifted up her palm before her and closed her eyes. Lexi did the same.

“Got it,” Lexi said, opening her eyes. There was a barely perceptible humming sound as she began to hover, letting her feet dangle below her body. It intensified when she flew off quickly in the direction of town. Alex walked over to Arianna and put a hand on her shoulder.

“Take your friends into the cabin, and put up a shield of aversion,” she said. Leaning in close, she said in fairy language, “I’ll wait outside with Drina in the trees to keep watch when we get there."

“Got it,” Arianna said, “Thank you." 

“You’re our sister, and they’re our friends as they are yours,” Alex said in English again.

Arianna nodded her head with a respectful smile. 

“Come on, guys, let’s get into the cabin,” Arianna said.

“What’s a ‘shield of aversion’?” Paul asks.

“Keeps people you don’t want away from an area. Makes them turn away from a spot, and get disoriented or faint if they don’t. Doesn’t work on fairies or wizards, though,” Arianna responds.

“Why use it, then?” Rita asked.

“Because it is  _ great _ at keeping away humans,” Arianna replied.

\---

Lexi was in town in a flash, next to the building that Arianna had shown her with the demonstration spell. She landed on a tree branch about 30 feet from the inside of the building. That was far enough to where the corrupted wizard couldn’t curse her, but close enough so she could still use her Sight. This would be a race against the clock. From the power of the previous curses, there were at least two other dead humans in there. 

She closed her eyes so she could see beyond them, and get the layout of the inside. There was a shadowy figure in a room on the first floor with a human, and not two other dead humans, but four. Three at the entrance and one in the room with them. This had to be quick. How could she get the wizard away from the human? The entrance to the building was on the other side, and the building was small enough to where she could cast an auditory illusion near the entrance and make it seem like it was coming from outside. If the wizard was trying to kill shapeshifter wolves, maybe a wolf howl would do it. She pointed to a spot outside the entrance to the building, cupped her hands around her mouth and blew. The spell worked perfectly. The wizard looked towards the door and walked out, confused. Now was her chance.

Lexi flew up to the window of the room and pressed her hands against the panes.  _ Let me pass _ . She thought, and she phased right through them. The human looked around at her, eyes wide and skin pale. She was frightened. She also matched the picture of the human she was there to save, Artie.

“Don’t worry, Artie, I’m here to save you,” Lexi told her in her mind, as she put a finger over her mouth in a shushing motion. But Artie was still scared. Frozen in place.

“We have to be quick,” Lexi told her telepathically again, “Sorry." 

She grabbed Artie around the waist and hoisted her up. But a small gasp escaped from Artie, and Lexi knew the wizard heard it. 

_ Well then _ , Lexi thought. She whipped her elbow towards the window. With the signature sound, all of the glass shatters into pieces, falling to the ground outside. She flew out of the window with Artie in tow and took a sharp left, landing about 60 ft from the back window in a tree. They were safe and out of sight for now. 

“What was  _ that _ ?” Artie said emphatically.

“I’m a fairy, your brother said you were in trouble and I came to help,” Lexi said, but Artie wasn’t really listening, still shocked by what she saw in Silas’s office.

“That was a nasty wizard, I could tell just from her aura,” Lexi said.

“She said her name was Truman McMahon…” Artie said, her eyes dazed and far away, like she was staring at something that was not here, “Truman  _ McMahon _ ."

“That’s an odd name,” Lexi said, “Considering she is neither true nor a man."

She was trying to lighten the mood, but Artie still had that far-off look in her eyes. 

“Speaking of which,” Lexi said, “We better get going, she’s headed this way. Sorry, I’ll have to carry you again, I can fly much faster than you can run. Grab on." 

“Okay,” Artie said, “But we have to tell Madison."

“Madison?” Lexi said, picking up Artie and lifting off.

“Madison Reynolds, the sheriff. We need to tell her what’s going on, I finally know who the killer is,” Artie said, “What are you doing? We’re going away from town."

“Okay, let’s go there, then. I have to stop on the way to tell the others what we’re doing, though."

“Okay, Sheriff Madison is at Aubrey’s. I can guide you there."

“Got it."

Lexi turned on a dime 270°, and went whooshing off back towards town, taking care to stay well away from Miner Mole.

\---

“What was that?” Rita asked, in her normal sassy tone of voice. They had almost made it to the cabin, and the sun was low in the sky, throwing everything into an amber hue. Then Alex had stopped them momentarily without saying why. 

“Lexi saved Artie and she wanted to tell Sheriff Madison something really badly,” Alex said, “She was checking in with me."

“Ah,” Rita replied.

“You used telemetry, ah, telepathy?” Sybilus said.

“We did,” Alex said.

“You can do that in your  _ mind _ ?” Paul asked, his eyes wide with wonder.

“Yeah,” she said again.

“Did Artie say anything, is she okay?” Paul asked, a new concern tinting his voice.

“Yeah, she’s fine, although apparently she was freaking out about the wizard being named McMahon, for some reason,” Alex said. 

At the mention of the name, everyone except Alex stopped and looked at each other. Their eyes were deep wells of fear.

“First you guys razz me for stopping-” Alex said, before looking at Arianna’s face.

“I knew it was bad, but not  _ that _ bad,” Arianna said, “We need to get to that cabin now."

The curiosity coming from Alex was so palpable, even the wolves, with no casting ability or Sight, could sense it. 

“The McMahons were the other founding family of Connor Creek,” Helen said, as the group began to walk again, “They lived well with us at first. They used magic to help us build the town, and do our daily chores. When we found out that we could change at will here, we thought we had found a place we could truly live in peace without the fear of humans killing us. But then we found the silver deposits."

“There were fairies there,” Rita said, “When we approached, with the McMahons, they told us the mountain was sacred and digging in the mines would kill us. ‘If not by the silver, then by the divine energy’ they said. So we left the mines alone."

“We then realized the mines were the source of our newfound control,” Sybilus said, “But the McMahons wanted to scrape the mines clean and sell the silver to humans."

“Turns out they weren’t our friends after all,” Helen said, “There was a long cold war over the mines. Eventually, just like the fairies said would happen, the McMahon leaders died going too far into the mines." 

“They were a husband and wife who left behind a child,” Rita said, “The others left shortly after, but vowed revenge."

“Woah, that’s intense,” Paul said.

“It was,” Rita said, “Not that I was there or anything."

It was then that they got to the cabin. It looked old and dilapidated from a distance, but the closer you got, the more it looked like some kind of illusion or mirage. It was like something from a dream. The last rays of light glimmered off the wood like it was covered in glitter, and flowed through the windows like water, obscuring whatever was on the other side.

“We’re here,” Alex said, turning to Arianna, “I’m taking my place in the trees, put up the shield. We’ll let you know if anything happens."

“Got it,” Arianna said.

Alex flew up into the air with a buzzing sound like a bee, and Arianna led the rest of the group into the cabin.

\---

Lexi flew them over to Aubrey’s house more quickly than Artie had gone anywhere before, outside of a vehicle. They were going so fast, the world seemed to meld around them, trees parting like water to let them pass through. Lexi had stopped momentarily in a tree for directions. She also checked in with her friends using some kind of magical communication. She called it telepathy. A week ago, Artie would have completely discounted it, but after what she had seen this week, she did not even question it.

“This is it,” Lexi said, before they seemed to be. But then she stopped slowly, and placed Artie gently on the ground right in front of Aubrey’s front door. 

Artie faltered for a minute outside the door, trying to think of what to say. The last time she saw Madison, they did not exactly part in amiable terms. She would have to be diplomatic about this, which she was never good at. Paul was always the one who had a way with people. She was brusque and irritable. As her mind wandered, her eyes looked around the outside of the house.

It was very old. It was made mostly of wood, browned everywhere but the edges from time and the hot California sun. There was a tall chimney made of stones, slowly breathing out smoke into the night air. All of the regular windows were covered with blinds, but there was a blue stained glass window on the other side of the front wall that was uncovered. It caught her attention because someone’s shadow kept crossing over it, going to one side and then the other. 

“You going in?” Lexi asked.

“Yeah, I just have to figure out what I’m going to say first,” Artie said.

“Tell her the truth?” Lexi said.

“No, that’s a terrible idea,” Artie said.

After a few more moments of fidgeting in front of the door, she thought she finally had something. Then her mind went blank again.

“Well, here goes nothing,” and she opened the door, barging in. Why was she so nervous? She was never this nervous before. Artemis Schue-Horyn was a hard-hitting reporter who had faced down criminal masterminds and not batted an eye. Why was this so tough to do? She just walked in and stopped. Madison, Olivia, and Aubrey were sitting at a large wooden table in front of a map.

“Artemis,” Madison said.

“Madison,” Artie said, “I’m sorry about earlier today, I put too much pressure on you trying to figure this out. I was wrong. I was horribly, horribly wrong, in doing what I did to you, but also in my suspicions. But I know who did it now, and it wasn’t the werewolves."

“What?” Madison said, incredulously, “Artemis…”

“I have proof, I saw it with my own eyes, Truman has been killing people and framing the werewolves, she killed the Irons, and then killed Silas right in front of me, and she’s a McMahon."

“Artemis, these are some pretty serious accusations."

“I can corroborate,” Lexi said, coming into the house and shutting the door behind her, her hand lingering on the doorknob for a little longer than seemed necessary. “I know you don’t know me, but I was there, too, I saw it through the window. I saved Artie here, Artemis? Artemis. Anyway, my name’s Lexi. I’m effectively the deputy of High Top. Good to meet you, Sheriff Madison."

Lexi stuck her hand through her cable-knit sweater without leaving a hole, and a golden light in the shape of a star began to shine through it.

“Good to meet you, Lexi, where’s High Top?” Madison said.

“It’s about 40-minutes away for me,” Lexi said. 

“There’s nothing around for miles,” Madison said.

“It’s a fairy town, we wouldn’t want humans to know where we lived,” Lexi said, “I’m also a seer, which means I can tell what  _ is _ , in every situation, infallibly."

Aubrey’s eyes and mouth grew wide in awe.

“You’re a fairy!!!!” He said, in amazement.

“Yes, I’m a fairy,” Lexi said, “We just established that.”

“Are you messing with me right now?” Madison said, “Because this has been a really rough day." 

“Afraid not,” Aubrey said, “Seems old great grandpa demeted Dockweiler was right. The hooey was truey."

“I also just made a star glow out of my chest, what other proof of magic do you need?” Lexi said.

“Tell me only something I would know, that I have never told anyone before,” Madison said.

Lexi made a show of looking like she was thinking for a minute, looking to the corner of the room and squishing her lips as much as she could to one side. She then walked over to the table and spoke to Madison again.

“I’ll whisper it to you,” she said.

As Lexi whispered to her, Madison’s eyes grew wide and her face paled for a moment. When Lexi backed away, she looked at her incredulously.

“How did you-” Madison started, “Okay, I believe you."

“The werewolves here never revealed themselves because they were afraid the humans would kill them if they did,” Lexi said,

“We would,” Aubrey said, off in his own world.

“That’s what they told me,” Artie said, “They came to  _ me and Paul _ for help, outsiders, because they said we were the only ones who would listen. They said they’re being framed, and that haven’t killed anyone."

“It’s true,” Olivia said, “The werewolves here are all peaceful, they wouldn’t kill anyone." 

“This is a lot to process,” Madison said, “Did everyone know about the werewolves but me?”

“Yeah, well, everyone in this room did,” Lexi said. “Also, my sisters are protecting the wolves from Truman because protecting innocent people is kind of our  _ thing _ , and she instigated a fight, and I should probably be getting back to that. You can come there with me if you want, but I’d be lying if I said it wouldn’t be dangerous. Also, I put a protection spell on your door, Aubrey, people are safe here for now."

Aubrey was over the moon about this new development, covering his mouth and in excitement. Olivia’s curiosity was piqued. Madison just looked very, very lost. She looked over at Artie, and felt something twitch inside of her, seeing the look of determination on her face. Artie felt it too, seeing Madison look so exhausted and forlorn.

“You’re not joshin’ me here?” Madison asked.

“Of course not,” Artie said, “I would never."

“With that settled, can we go now? I can only carry two people, though,” Lexi asked.

“Let’s go,” Madison said, looking at Artie.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is chapter 3! I had so much fun planning and writing this. It was partially because I wanted to know how the wolves (after ep. 7) and Artie (after ep. 8) would be saved, but also because I suddenly had all these ideas for a fantasy AU/plot divergence fic and really wanted to write them down. I ended up using stuff from the end of the show because I realized my original outline did not include anything about what the humans in Connor Creek thought about what happened, or the podcast. So I added that stuff on the fly.
> 
> Anyway, here it is!

Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Feel the magic. It’s there, just like the breath in your lungs. Now breathe out- make the spell a reality.

It’s what Arianna did every time she was nervous and had to do magic. Or, more specifically, a spell she did not do all the time. “Shield of aversion” was definitely a niche one, and not one she had had to use in a while, since she lived out in the middle of nowhere now. Back in the city, they used it frequently- to ward off bandits, or just people they did not like- their next neighbor Janet, who was constantly ranting about ridiculous conspiracies; or Dave down the street, who was a rabid follower of a particularly hateful politician.

The worst people in Connor Creek, at least until two years ago, were the Walkers- always whispering rumors about people wherever they went. But then Truman came. Arianna was suspicious of her from the start. She was always so eager, always so seemingly willing to help people, well, to help people by doing things that would help her. Truman was your stereotypical politician: so well-dressed and so well-spoken, always out to please people. It was obvious she was either hiding something, or trying to cover something up. Every pore of her body oozed out an air of suspicion.

There was also the fact that Arianna saw Truman outside in the early hours of the morning, stalking around town. Arianna normally went into the bakery well before the sun rose to start her baking for the day. And after Truman moved to Connor Creek, she usually saw her somewhere on her way to the bakery. Sneaking around town. She could also feel it that she was a caster, using stealth magic to avoid being seen. The spells tapped in her mind like morse code every time they were cast. She tried to tell Madison, but what could she say? She couldn’t tell her she was a fairy, and Truman was a wizard. They were sworn to secrecy, since humans were very likely to kill them if they found out.

Arianna’s suspicions of Truman were confirmed on the night that Ryan died. She felt a strong curse coming from the direction of the Dead Canary. It was raging, and vicious, banging through the air like a gunshot. The next day, she went to see Ryan’s body in the morgue with Rita’s permission. He was such a good friend. But that did not stop the stain of corrupted magic from marring his physically torn body, even a day after the curse had been cast.

“This was a caster for sure,” Arianna had told Rita, “A corrupted wizard trying to make it look like a wild animal."

“Do you know who it was?” 

“I don’t know the right spells to figure out for sure, but I suspect Truman," Arianna said, “She’s the only other caster in town.”

“Is she still using stealth spells to walk around at night?” Rita asked.

“She sure is,” Arianna said

“Do you have any proof other than magic?” Rita asked, her normally sardonic eyes gently pleading.

“No, I don’t,” Arianna said, “We’ll have to find some."

But when Sybilus told her Paul had asked about werewolves, her attention shifted to him. Sybilus was her best friend, and if someone found out he was a werewolf, he would be in serious trouble. She concocted a plan. When Paul and Artie came to do her interview, she would give them both pastries, and put a truth spell on Paul’s. It would make him speak his mind without thinking too much about it. She could also make out if he was a caster from how he reacted to the spell. She really hoped it would work.

That night, Arianna felt another strong death curse. She was at the scene quickly. When she saw it was Prism and Paul, she thought her plan would have to wait. She called on Helen to help - she did rounds around the town in the morning, so it would make sense that the two of them would find them. 

“Poor Prism, she’s beyond gone,” Arianna said, “Paul’s still alive, though."

“He’s lost so much blood,” Helen said, “Can you heal him?”

“His wounds are too deep, and the curse’s magic is lingering. We’d need a magical doctor for this,” Arianna replied, “But no one in High Top could get here quickly enough, he’s fading fast."

“I have an idea,” Helen said, “It’s not the best, but it’s an idea."

“What is it?” Arianna asked.

“I have to turn him,” Helen said, “Werewolves have enhanced healing abilities. He might survive as a wolf."

“If it’ll save his life,” Arianna said, “How long do you need before I go get Dr. Edwards?”

“I can do it quickly,” Helen said, “You can go now."

“Got it,” Arianna said, “Hopefully he won’t be too drunk or hungover to be of some use after you turn him."

“Here’s to hoping,” Helen said.

After fetching Dr. Edwards, Arianna contacted her friends from High Top telepathically. She told them that a corrupted wizard was killing the locals and framing the werewolves. And she had a good idea of who it could be. They responded back, telling her that if the humans got violent, they would send protectors for the shapeshifter wolves. After ruling out Paul, and after the town council meeting where Barney died, she did just that. And now they were in the cabin, with the fairy protectors outside. This was the place they had the best chance of surviving, and she was not going to let a corrupted wizard kill her friends if she could do anything about it.

She got up from the table where she had cast the shield of aversion, and had her first real look around the cabin. It looked ancient and new at the same time. The room was large and immaculately clean, with modern lighting fixtures and an AC system, but the furniture looked like it was from the 1800’s, or even before. There was a bookshelf on one wall, full-up with leather-bound books. The room smelled of cedar. From the inside, you could see perfectly out of the windows, whereas the panes were too blurry to see in from the outside.

“Wow,” Paul said, “This place is so cool." 

“It’s an old fairy safe-house,” Arianna said, “Been here for hundreds of years. It may not look like it, but it’s built to ride out the worst. Fire-proof, earthquake-proof, can’t be destroyed by magic. The only thing it isn’t is sacred, divine energy can sometimes hurt otherwise friendly creatures."

“That’s unfortunate." 

“It is,” Arianna said, “We don’t know why the gods do what they do, we just have to deal with it."

“Isn’t that the truth?” Rita said.

After a moment of silence, Arianna spoke again.

“Well, there’s nothing left to do now but wait, and hope,” Arianna said, “Make yourselves at home."

She took a book off the shelf, and looked at the name.

“ _A History of Connor Creek_ , this one will be fun,” she said, “Looks like it’s a fairy account, too."

She sat down on one of the chairs and began to read it. 

\---

They did not have to wait long before Arianna lifted her head and stopped reading.

“Come in, Arianna, over,” Alex told Arianna in her mind.

“Go ahead, Alex, over,” Arianna thought back.

“Truman’s coming from the north, over,” Alex replied. 

“Copy that, over,” Arianna said, turning to the others and saying out loud, “We’re gonna have company soon, Alex just told me Truman’s coming this way."

They turned to the window and saw, sure enough, Truman’s slender frame walking slowly through the trees and towards the cabin. There was a small group of humans among them. The only one they could see with absolute certainty was Riley, because the others quickly jolted back and retreated. Truman stopped about 30 feet away from the cabin and stuck a hand out, as if she was feeling something in the air. Her face went sour.

“I know you’re in there, Arianna, I can feel you!” Truman yelled, “Come out and fight, coward!”

Everyone turned to look at Arianna.

“I can’t go out and fight,” she said, “I would have to open the door. Besides, she knows I put up a shield of aversion, and the spell gets stronger if she attacks me and I stay defensive, but not if I attack."

“Ah,” Sybilus said.

“Open up,” Truman said, banging on the door, even though she was still at least ten feet away. She was quickly approaching the cabin.

Arianna merely motioned for everyone else to be quiet, and stood up. Truman yelled again, and casted some curse to destroy the door. It did nothing. The door continued to stand, like a stone pillar someone was trying to burn down, it stood, resolute. She focused her fire on the doorknob, the keyhole, and the sides of the door to no avail.

“Let me help you,” Riley said, but she was quickly losing her sense of direction going into the shield of aversion’s range. She managed to lift up her gun and cock it, but yelped in pain and dropped it. It glowed red on the forest floor. Mind clearly muddled, she leaned down to pick up the gun, but slumped down next to it and fell asleep. Truman started looking around the door. Doing spells to assess its weak points.

“You can’t protect them forever,” Truman said, “They will pay for what they did, every one of them!”

“I can, and I will,” Arianna said, standing strong like the door, “They are my friends, and they are innocent."

“You silly little fairy,” Truman sneered, injecting venom into every word, “You seriously think you can stop me all alone?” 

“No, but I’m not alone,” Arianna said aloud, then telepathically to Alex, she said, “Now!"

Truman was about to respond when she fell face first onto the ground, and was dragged backwards away from the cabin. She let loose a wild scream and flipped onto her back. Alex flew down from the trees, revealing herself. 

“Truman McMahon, you’re under arrest for the murder of six humans, a shapeshifter friend, and for hate crimes-” 

Truman groaned and threw balls of glowing red energy at Alex, who dodged them in the air with ease.

“And for hate crimes against the shapeshifter wolves-” Alex continued, before being interrupted again. 

“They deserve it!” Truman said, throwing more curses Alex’s way, “Every one of them, for what they did to my parents!” 

“They didn’t kill your parents!” Arianna yelled from the window.

Truman hissed at her. Drina took the moment to raise up an open palm, beckoning something forward. Toots sprang up from the ground, wrapping themselves around Truman’s arms and body.

“The Connors led my parents into the old silver mines and killed them!” Truman said, her face was as red as fire, with veins popping out on her head. Her eyes burned with fury. “So they could have the mines all to themselves."

“That makes no sense,” Alex said, “Werewolves would never go into a silver mine, especially not one in a _sacred mountain_."

“A sacred mountain?” Truman asked, “It wasn’t a sacred mountain."

“I was just reading this in the book,” Arianna said to herself, “They were killed by the divine energy in the mines. It was too much. The fairies who protected the mines, el Monte Sagrado, told the Connors and your family that the mountain with the silver deposits was sacred, and to proceed at their own risk. The High Seer, Sophia, had terrible visions that going into the mines would lead to death and corruption, and she was right."

“That can’t be the truth!” Truman shrieked. She looked to be growing more delirious by the minute.

The roots began to burn and she bursted free from them. She tried to use another curse to bring down Alex, but it was much weaker than the others. Alex just flew backwards out of range. The curse exploded in the empty air. Lexi flew in with a hum, hovering by Alex.

“It is the truth,” Lexi said. “I’m a seer, and I know it to be the truth."

Truman yelled again, stumbling forward and trying another curse at them. Like a red firework, it popped short of them. They had flown backwards as she walked forward. The three fairies nodded at each other, Lexi and Drina patted their hands in the air, as if on an invisible table. Truman fell to her face a second time. Alex put her fists together, and Truman’s hands whipped together behind her back, as if bound by invisible handcuffs.

“Your parents died from the divine energy in the mines, after they decided they wanted to mine the silver to kill the Connors and make their fortune from selling it to the humans,” Lexi said, “I’m sorry, but that’s the truth."

“As soon as you accept the truth, _Tru_ man, you can begin to heal,” Alex said, “we can even help you purify yourself if you want."

But Truman merely groaned, getting up again and trying once more to curse Alex, without success. It was hard to throw a spell with your hands behind your back. The three fairies simply nodded at each other, and tapped their pointer fingers up and down in sync. Truman collapsed, unconscious, onto the ground. The three fairies flew down towards Truman, examining her body.

“It’s safe,” Lexi called into the cabin.

Arianna lifted the shield of aversion and unlocked the door. She walked out, followed by Paul and Helen, peeking out of the doorway. Just then, Sheriff Madison and Artie ran towards the scene, past a Riley who was groggily rousing. 

“What’s goin’ on here?” Madison asked.

“Ah, Alex, this is Sheriff Reynolds of Connor Creek,” Lexi said, laying her hand out towards Madison, then turning to her and laying her hand towards Alex, “Sheriff Reynolds, meet Alex, our equivalent of a sheriff in High Top."

“Good to meet you,” Madison said, “What’s goin’ on here?” 

“This woman here is a corrupted wizard who broke many of our laws,” Alex said, motioning towards Truman’s unconscious body, “How much does she know, Lexi?”

“She came in with me, and hung back behind the shield,” Lexi said.

“Ah,” Alex said, “We were alerted to the situation by Arianna. Brought the werewolves to this safehouse. She was trying to destroy the building, and we got into a fight when I tried to arrest her for her crimes." 

“Wait- Arianna told you?” Madison said, “She has been trying to peg something on her for months."

“I couldn’t tell you why, because magic is supposed to be secret,” Arianna said, “It was horrible, trying to come up with other reasons, when that was the only way I knew, but since we’re being candid now- powerful curses were used to kill the people, I felt them, and Truman was the only other caster in town."

“Plus, it couldn’t have been anyone in High Top,” Drina said, “We can’t use that kind of magic without losing our jobs. Sophia would know."

“You were right this whole time…” Madison said, musing out loud, “I’m sorry I doubted you, Arianna."

“Thank you,” Arianna said, “I forgive you."

“If you don’t mind, Sheriff, we’re taking Truman back with us, to await trial,” Alex said, “We can keep her from escaping back to your town to wreak more havoc. High Top is mostly on platforms in the canopy, so it’s pretty difficult to leave without wings. Or get past the guards. We can also have three guardian fairies watch over her to make sure she doesn’t attempt any magical escapes. When she finishes her sentence with us, we can bring her back to stand trial here, if you like."

“I’ll allow that,” Madison said, “I do have a few questions, though."

“Ask away, but keep it off the record,” Alex said.

“How long do I have before she wakes up?” Madison asked.

“As long as you need,” Alex said, “We put her in a magical sleep, she wakes up when we want her to wake up."

They talked for a while about what happened on the magical side. Meanwhile, Riley walked up sheepishly to the werewolves.

“Sorry we thought you guys were evil,” Riley said, “We shoulda known you guys are our friends, and you wouldn’t just start killing us like that."

“We forgive you,” Helen said. 

“Good,” Riley said, “So, what’d I miss?”

The wolves and Arianna merely pointed at Alex and Madison, still deep in conversation.

\---

“So, what do we do now? Now that we know magic exists and everything?” Madison said, after they had finished explaining everything.

“Well,” Alex said, “As long as you don’t reveal us to the world outside of Connor Creek, you can keep the knowledge. In return, if you ever need help from us again, don’t hesitate to contact us."

“Just ask me, and I’ll send it on,” Arianna said, “If I haven’t already."

“Thank you,” Madison said, “You have our friendship as well. We’ll keep your secret."

“Much obliged,” Alex said, “Until next time."

Alex, Lexi and Drina gathered around Truman’s body. Lexi and Drina put Truman's arms over their shoulders, and Alex grabbed her feet.

“Three, two, one,” Alex said, and they hoisted her up.

“We would wave if our hands weren’t occupied,” Lexi said, “Bye."

“Goodbye,” said Drina.

Everyone waved at the three fairies as they flew up and through the trees.

\---

“How on Earth are we going to explain this?” Artie said, on their way back to town.

“I don’t know,” Paul said, “We’ll have to think of something else, we can’t expose them."

“Yes, please don’t put this in your podcast,” Arianna said.

“Don’t worry, we can brainstorm other ideas,” Paul said.

“Thank goodness,” Arianna said, her posture immediately changing as she sighs in relief. “Okay, let’s start now." 

Arianna was back to her old self, rattling off ideas left and right, rejecting some as soon as she said them.

“What about LSD?” Madison asked, as they were half-way back to town. “That can cause hallucinations, as well as paranoia and delusions. We could say Truman slipped it into the water supply."

“That’s the best idea we’ve had yet,” Paul said.

“Definitely,” Arianna said.

“But will people buy it?” Artie asked.

“These are simple people,” Rita said, “How do you think we stayed hidden for so long?”

“Fair point,” Artie said.

“So, we’re using the LSD idea?” Madison said.

“Sh-sh-should we run it by the other wolves first?” Sybilus said.

“I think we should, too,” Arianna said.

“We can do that,” Madison said.

“Then we can gather the other wolves, tell them they’re safe, ask them about the LSD idea, and report back to you,” Arianna said.

“Sounds like a plan,” Madison said.

“There are other wolves?” Riley asked, “Who are they?”

“We don’t want to out them unless they want to out themselves, you know?” Helen said.

“Okay,” Riley said.

“Well, let’s get on it, as soon as we get back,” Arianna said.

“Artemis and I should go back to Aubrey’s and let the people there know everything is alright now,” Madison said, “And tell everyone there will be no more werewolf hunting in this town."

The group cheered. Madison smiled warmly at Artie, who offered her a soft hug. Paul started hugging everyone, and Arianna joined in. They even hugged Rita, who pretended not to like it. 

\---

The other wolves approved the LSD plan, and it went off without a hitch. The podcast was also a massive success. It was the most popular show in APN history, even if the end was almost completely fabricated. But Artie and Paul would never forget what actually happened there. They kept in touch with their friends, and went back whenever they got a chance. Madison was always there to greet them, and Arianna even started making gluten-free pastries especially for Artie, on surfaces she had washed down before-hand. 

The town went back to normal after a while, but it was a different normal. People moved around to fill the positions of those lost. Every year, they held a vigil in town hall for those friends that were unceremoniously taken from them too soon. Paul and Artie usually came. It marked a new era for the people in Connor Creek. The humans and the werewolves banded together and became an even stronger, tighter knit community. There were no more werewolf hunts or gruesome murders. The humans stood beside their werewolf friends, protecting them, just like Arianna and the fairies of High Top were, always there for them when they needed it.

Everything seemed right in the world, when Artie and Paul came back to Connor Creek. But they couldn’t stay forever- they had bigger fish to fry. Or fish to save?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much if you have read all this! I really appreciate you. This was a real labor of love for me, and I hope you have a lovely day. Stay safe out there, friend!


End file.
